Movement struggles to develop identity

Movement struggles to develop identity

SOUTH BEND -- Surrounded by the tents of protest, Tony Lamb settles into a folding chair and glances toward the morning sun.

It's 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Lamb, a former union laborer, is all alone.

As he rests on John R. Hunt Plaza, the wide public space in front of the Morris Performing Arts Center, he is surrounded by the signs of habitation.

Tents. Plastic storage tubs. A space heater. The only thing missing are the people.

On this morning, the movement calling itself Occupy South Bend is an occupation of one.

Change seekers

It has been less than two months since the movement calling itself Occupy Wall Street set up camp in New York City, to protest everything from corporate bailouts to the basics of

the capitalistic system.

Since then, in communities across the country, the movement has spread, with encampments of protesters popping up in towns both large and small.

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On Oct. 8, the group calling itself Occupy South Bend held a rally in downtown. Almost a week later, the protesters set up camp on the Jon R. Hunt Plaza, decorated it with homemade signs, and declared their intentions to stay.

Police have told them they are allowed to stay on the public plaza's sidewalks indefinitely, as long as they move for other scheduled events, like shows at the Morris.

"We're here," protester Jonathan Deak said on Oct. 14, "to show people that things need to change."

Rally

And yet, three weeks later, the change, and more protesters, have yet to arrive.

On Wednesday, Lamb, a senior history major at IUSB, said that there have been as many as 60 people gathered on the plaza during the twice-per-week "general assemblies" where the protesters gather to make plans and hammer out issues, but admitted that much of the time the actual numbers on the ground were much lower.

During four different visits by a reporter on Wednesday, the total population of occupiers never climbed above three. A return visit on Thursday morning found no one on site.

So, is the Occupy movement really a movement in South Bend?

Tracey Malesa-Wheaton, a 44-year-old social worker and mother of two, said she believes that it is.

Even though the number of protesters is low, the group has received support from a wide contingent of people, in the form of donated food, and the vocal support of several union members, even if no unions have specifically joined the local movement.

Online the largest Occupy South Bend Facebook group lists 490 fans, but how many are active in the group, or even local residents, isn't easily determined.

"There's different levels of commitment, people have jobs and different responsibilities where they can't always be out," Malesa-Wheaton said. "People might drive by and see two or three people milling around, but that's not really an accurate picture of who we are."

So who are they?

That answer, Malesa-Wheaton said, is still being sorted out.

But on Saturday, that could change. On Facebook and through fliers, the group has been planning to host a downtown rally starting at 11 a.m., with a march at noon -- to banks and the federal and county courthouses -- followed by a potluck and social time.

During the rally, the group plans to collect monetary donations for the Center for the Homeless and food for a local food bank.

Even organizers aren't sure how many people will show up.

Messages

So what if 500 people show up? What if only 15?

Does it matter?

Malesa-Wheaton said the group's unifying message is to end corporate influence in Washington -- a message she believes resonates with most Americans, even if they aren't active in the Occupy movement.

But she admits that group -- celebrated as a "leaderless movement" -- is made up of people with different messages and different goals, so outsiders are often confused about what this "Occupy" movement means, especially locally.

Lamb, who spent time this week sitting at the protest site reading books and listening to National Public Radio, said the movement's ultimate goal is to change a system that he says cares more for corporations than individuals.

Lamb's main concern is the income-gap has grown so large, that average individuals have lost their voice. He distrusts politicians, believes in the power of unions and hopes that enough people will become fed up with the system that they'll rise and join him in the streets.

"People have lost jobs, have lost homes," said Lamb, "if enough people end up on the street, they'll have to listen."

Joel Duncan, who joined the protest site for the first time on Wednesday, said the most important part of the Occupy movement locally is that it's sparked a local debate about a global topic.

"I value the space where we can work through these issues with the people here," said Duncan, a graduate student at Notre Dame. "It's more like the occupation of these issues and keeping them in the open."